Demons of the Past
by AtHD
Summary: Commander Shepard, a man with no history, was once put to the test in the fight of his life. Now, two years after his battle with Sovereign, he is called on again to wage war with the Collectors. However, his life is threatened by a different enemy. One that hides in the recesses of his mind, waiting until he is vulnerable. Originally Called: To Save a Galaxy
1. Chapter 1: Meeting Her

**Disclaimer**: Bioware can suck it! There, does that answer your damn question!?

**A/N**: I will be skipping past ME1, revisiting it through flahbacks and such.

* * *

**Chapter One: Meeting Her**

"Hopefully this Shadow Broker can help me," thought the young Quarian as she turned the corner. It was dark down here on the lower parts of the ward. She almost liked it, the dim lighting reminding her of the fleet. She approached the Broker's men, noticing the lack of the man himself.

"Where is the Shadow Broker?" she asked, determined to see him.

"The Broker doesn't meet clients personally." The man was very tall and built like tank.

"Then the deal's off," said the Quarian. That wasn't what the broker's men wanted to hear. She barely had time to jump away when two of the thugs pulled out their guns, completely oblivious to the grenade beneath their feet. They were incinerated, leaving three more agents. The Quarian almost embraced death when she heard a gunshot come from above. She looked up to see a Human moving with the speed of a Salarian and the strength of a Krogan. He had quickly dispatched the thugs, one with a sniper rifle and the other two with a knife.

Without missing a beat, he rushed over to help the Quarian. He made sure she was okay and helped her stand.

"Th-thanks," she shuddered, still a bit shaken. "I would have died back there."

"No problem," he replied. "I couldn't just stand by and let you get killed." This man was incredible. A human who had just saved her life, fought off three huge men without breaking a sweat, was also polite and not discriminations against her for being a Quarian.

"Um, miss?" she snapped back to reality after hearing him speak up. Had she really zoned out while staring at this compete stranger? "Keelah," she muttered.

"Keelah?" he asked. "That's an interesting name."

"Wait, what?" she asked, cheeks flaring out of embarrassment. She hadn't even heard him ask her name.

"I asked what your name is," he answered, a confused look on his face.

"Oh, sorry. My name's Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. What's yours?"

"Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy," he replied, smiling. What was it about this man that seemed to put Tali in a trance? She just stared at him, glad that he couldn't see her mouth hanging open.

He had tan skin, calming, grey eyes, and a soul patch. His hair was cleanly cut and very short. His armor didn't appear to offer much protection, but compensated with light weight. The way he moved while killing the the thugs would have been impossible in heavy armor. In fact, it looked almost Quarian in design.

"Nice suit," she mumbled. Instantly, she was glad that he appeared to have not heard her. Instead, his eyes went wide with horror as he rushed forward. She almost had her shotgun out when he grabbed her by the side.

"Shit! You're suit's been punctured!" he yelled, bringing her attention to a barely noticable cut on her side. Her suit has been cut open, revealing a very small, open wound.

"So?" asked his Turian friend, whom she hadn't noticed before.

Shepard seemed angry at this. "So!?" he shouted. "So, Quarians can die from a cut like this!" he was rapidly applying medi-gel and antibiotics to her side, desperately attempting to heal her while preventing infection.

"Yeah," grunted the Krogan beside him. "Quarians have weak immune systems. A cut is all it takes to kill them."

"How do you two know about Quarian physiology?" she asked, trying to get her mind off of the wound.

"I'm over one thousand years old, girl," said the Krogan. "I know more about your species than most. You should be surprised at Shepard here. Many of his kind don't even know Quarians exist." She looked at the commander, who was finished with his medical work.

"It's a long story, and I don't just tell anyone." He appeared noticeably sadder than before. "Maybe in the future."

"That's under-" was all Tali got out before she trailed off and almost fainted.

"Damn!" exclaimed the commander. "She needs medical attention."

"Doctor Michel?" suggested the Turian.

"She's still too shaken and not very well-supplied. We need to get her to Doctor Chakwas." The others nodded as Shepard lifted Tali up and carried her to the Normandy. She was suddenly very afraid. She had been shot not too long ago and had her fair share of reactions, but nothing like this. She had more suit punctures that they hadn't noticed and she was fading quickly. For the first real time since leaving the flotilla, she called out for her home, for her father and auntie. For her friend, Kal. She just wanted a chance to see them all again. Just as she saw the airlock of a ship, she passed out.

* * *

Tali awoke in a very high-tech medical bay. An older, human woman was tending to her wounds. She had even more than she thought, with small patches of medi-gel and bandages covering several parts of her body. She looked around, silently. Just as she looked at the door, the commander walked in. He and the doctor exchanged greetings.

"Commander," laughed the doctor, "you've barely left the young woman's side since bringing her to me. Hell, I think you fell asleep in here more than once."

"I hate seeing innocents get hurt, doctor," he said in a very serious tone. "Her being Quarian just adds to it."

"How?" she asked.

"Long story." He looked at Tali and his eyes brightened as he saw that she was alive and well. He walked over and sat by her bed.

"Hey," he said. "How're you feeling?"

"Like a dumb bosh'tet," she replied. "How could I be so oblivious to so many suit ruptures?"

"Actually," informed the doctor, "the only really life threatening rupture was sealed by Shepard. The rest were small burns and the like. Shepard was really the one saving your life."

"You do yourself too little credit, doc," he said, smiling. "You helped just as much as I did." The doctor smiled and rolled her eyes at the compliment, turning back to her work. Kind, handsome, intelligent, strong, and humble. This was a very unique human. "How are you feeling physically?" he asked softly.

"Not too bad," she answered, "Kal would be upset with me, though."

"Kal?" he asked.

"An old friend," she replied. "He would have made a big scene and yelled at me for forgetting to activate my kinetic barriers."

"Wait," he interrupted, "you _forgot_ your barriers when dealing with the_ Shadow Broker's men?_"

"One, I haven't been in many firefights before. Two, I didn't know what a bosh'tet the Broker is," she said. Shepard nodded, having run into broker agents before.

"Are you well enough to move?" he asked.

"I... I think so," she answered, sitting up. When she tried to stand, she nearly fell over. He caught her just in time, albeit in a very awkward way. One hand was around her waist while the other supported her back. They stood there for a few moments, faces on fire, until the doctor began laughing. Shepard quickly regained his composure, putting Tali's arm around his shoulder to support her as they exited the sick bay. On their way out he called the Turian to meet them on the presidium, using the name "Garrus."

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**Okay, shitty chapter. Don't worry, I think the next one will be better.**

**Please send any suggestions. I will read and reply to every one.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Love

**Love**

* * *

The young Quarian, Tali'Zorah, was working at her station long after everyone else had gone to sleep. It had been three months since she met Commander Shepard, making it seven days since they defeated Saren. She was prepared to return to the Migrant Fleet, but something was holding her back. She had groundbreaking data on the Geth, allowing her to return to the Flotilla with pride.

Why couldn't she just leave? She saw things that no other pilgrim before her had dreamed of. She watched the commander's face as he sacrificed Ashley Williams on Virmire. When he talked Urdnot Wrex down from attacking him. When he freed the Rachni Queen on Noveria. She watched in horror as he was nearly killed on the Citadel.

In fact, every notable event throughout her pilgrimage was because of him. For some reason, she was drawn to him. She jumped whenever he said her name and was saddened when ever he replaced her on a mission (a rare occurrence). She cried when she thought he was dead, crushed by the debris left by Sovereign. He was an amazing man.

Throughout their travels, everyone on the ground team bonded (except Wrex, that hard ass). The strongest feelings of camaraderie were between the commander, Garrus, and her. They were almost always the ground squad, eventually becoming completely untouchable. The commander trained them personally, teaching Tali the secrets of close quarters combat and making Garrus one hell of a sniper. With Tali killing anything that got past the two snipers, they were almost never hit during a fight.

This did, however, take a toll on Tali mentally. Warfare was becoming her life. She almost enjoyed the fight, smiling when the enemy was shot down. With every pull of the trigger came a feeling of ecstasy at watching whatever was in her way fall. These feeling frightened her, making her believe that she was going insane.

The only thing that seemed to calm her down was the commander. Her nerves were always flaring while she worked with the engineers. Whenever Shepard came to talk, she instantly felt relaxed. It was like the commander was a drug, and she was constantly suffering from withdrawal. This also frightened her. She realized that they would likely never see each other again once she returned to the Flotilla.

Right now, she wasn't even really working. She was just staring at her omni-tool, unable to focus on anything. Just as she deactivated it, she heard footsteps from behind. She tensed up, subtly activating her kinetic barriers. Once the footsteps got within range, she spun around. Her leg shot out, but the trespasser was too quick. They dodged the attack, grabbing Tali's leg and holding it until she lost balance and fell.

"I didn't teach you everything I know," said the commander. Tali instantly felt like an idiot, mentally kicking herself for thinking that someone was attacking her aboard the galaxy's most advanced vessel.

"Obviously not," she replied, taking his outstretched hand. "If you were trying to kill me, I'd be dead right now."

"True," he responded, helping her up. "But if I were trying to kill you, I could think of a much more stylish way."

"Of course," she said. "So, you need something?"

"Not really," he answered. "Couldn't sleep so I came down. Everyone but you is sleeping and Wrex left for Tuchanka yesterday. Told me to tell you to 'keep working on that shotgun, 'cause there's no kill like overkill.'"

Tali giggled slightly. "Sounds like Wrex. So, anything you want to talk about?"

"Yeah," he said, returning to his regular solemn expression. "I've noticed you and Garrus getting really close."

"Yeah," she replied, oblivious to what he was getting at. "We're like family on this ship."

"Then I wanted you to know that I support any... relationships that grow between my crew members. I hate those regulations on fraternization that the Alliance seems to love."

"Wait, what?" she exclaimed, realizing what he was saying. "No, it's nothing like that! When I say we're like family, I mean he's like a brother to me."

_Thank god!_ "Oh, okay," he said, "Sorry for assuming..."

"It's okay, Shepard. I've never felt like that about a Turian anyway. Or a Quarian. N-No dextros anyway." She blushed under her mask, gaining the curiosity of the commander.

"Wait, I can't quite tell through the helmet," he said, smiling, "are you blushing?"

"What? No! I-I," she stammered. "I-well, I just meant that... you see, I... damn it."

"So," he began, "no dextros, huh? That mean you've felt that way about a levo?"

"Ummm, yes?" she said, completely embarrassed.

"Well, who could that be?" he asked. _He's mocking me! Bosh'tet!_

"Who knows? A young Quarian is saved from certain death by a strong, dashing commander and brought on a quest to save the galaxy? Why wouldn't she grow feelings for him?" _Keelah, I think I went too far!_

"Of course." he suddenly grew serious. "And when that strong, dashing commander is stuck on a ship with a racist bitch, a monotone scientist, and a beautiful young woman with a voice that blows the other two out of the water, which would he eventually become attracted to?" _Damn, I think I'm going too fast here!_

"Y-you mean you feel the same way?" asked Tali, tears in her eyes.

"Yes," he answered, moving closer. "I've felt this way for a long time." The tears began streaming down Tali's face at those words. She never thought that he would see her in a romantic light.

"Keelah," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Shepard's smile instantly faded.

"I've wanted this for so long. Only now do I realize that you can never see past my mask." The tears were not of happiness, like he originally believed. "Who could love someone, knowing that he could never see her face?"

"I could," he responded, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I want you, and nothing will ever change that." He kissed the top of her helmet, attempting to get his point across.

"But I... I... oh." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head underneath his chin.

* * *

**Short chapter, but it came out fast! The reason I'm starting out with Tali and Shepard together is so there can be even more emotion later on. Those of you who played the second game know what I'm talking about. **

**Those of you who didn't are wasting your time here!**


	3. Chapter 3: Goodbye

**Goodbye**

* * *

It had been one month since Tali and Shepard admitted their feelings to each other, and it was now time for Tali to return to the Migrant Fleet. Over the time that they spent together, their attraction increased. At times, Tali even contemplated showing him her face, but always decided against it. Their relationship was still young, and removal of a Quarian's mask, even in a sterilized environment, was dangerous.

Shepard also felt torn at points. He wanted to tell Tali the truth about his past, but was afraid that he would lose her. He still had nightmares about it, and he didn't want anything to come between them, especially the ghosts of his past.

They were now in a crowded spaceport on the Citadel. The rest of the crew had gone their separate ways throughout the past month, Garrus being the last to leave. He had grown close to Tali and Shepard during their time together. He was now going to apply for Spectre training, as the commander had once told him to.

Anyway, it was time for Tali to leave. She and Shepard were standing, staring into each other's eyes, waiting for the transport to arrive. Even though room was sparse in the crowded spaceport, people gave the couple plenty of it. For the first time since defeating Saren, the commander was thankful for his newfound fame. People were actually giving him space out of respect.

"Promise me that we'll se each other again," Tali pleaded, grasping his hands. She was quite upset, this being her first real relationship. She wanted more time to spend with Shepard, but he insisted that she return.

"I promise," he responded. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her, but he knew that she needed to return to the Flotilla eventually. The longer they spent together, the harder the separation would be.

"And you'll stay in contact?" she asked. Anything, even just a few words a day, would mean the world to her.

"Of course," he replied. "I'll try to call at least once a day. Don't worry." He smiled at her attachment. She really cared about him, something that he had never felt before. He had his fair share of relationships, but they were mostly just flings. This was much more... serious. He felt something for Tali that he had never felt for another woman. It was the feeling that he would give up anything for her. Do anything for her.

He was in love with her.

"Good," she whispered. "I-I love you, Shepard." Those four words were like a smack to the face. Just as he was thinking about it, she put his emotions into a sentence. His eyes went wide and Tali began to panic. "Was that too soon!?" she asked.

"No!" he replied. "No, no! Not at all." He pulled her closer, his hands moving from her hands to her lower back. "In fact, I feel the same way." She squealed with delight, tears coming to her eyes. He had just confirmed what she wanted to know for so long, that he felt for her the same way she did him. She embraced him in a loving hug, wishing that she could do more.

"Thank you so much, Shepard!" she exclaimed. After she calmed down, she looked him in the eyes. "For everything."

"Tali," said the commander. "My name's John." She gasped; had he just revealed to her his name? How many people knew it? Was she hearing things?

"J-John?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yes?" he replied in a slightly mocking tone.

"Keelah, I can't believe... I never thought..." She couldn't finish her thought. So many emotions were swirling around in her little head that it made her dizzy. He just smiled and kissed the top of her helmet, giving her another tender embrace.

"What?" he joked. "You never thought I actually had a real name?"

"No," she replied, so emotional that she thought he was being serious. "I jut never thought that I'd hear it." They stood together for a long time until her transport number was shouted over the intercom. She reluctantly pulled away.

"Goodbye," said the commander.

"Goodbye, John," she replied. "I love you." She began to walk away when he said something that made her stop in her tracks.

"Keelah Se'lai, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. May the ancestors grant you guidance through the stars until you return to the place you began." That was an ancient Quarian phrase, dating back to before the Geth uprising. No alien had ever heard it. How did he have it memorized by heart? She turned to ask, but he had disappeared into the crowd.


	4. Chapter 4: Loss

**Loss**

* * *

One week had passed since Tali made her triumphant return to the Migrant Fleet. She was welcomes to the Neema with open arms, news of her exploits reaching them even before her return. Her data on the Geth was just icing on the cake. She had made a good name for Quarians everywhere, and the fleet knew it.

Her father was actually proud, something that Tali never deemed possible. She got to see her friends again, became an adult, earned the respect of the entire fleet, but just wasn't happy. She already missed Shepard, and the short calls didn't help. He was somehow able to always dodge the question of how he knew that ancient Quarian phrase.

She loved him with all her heart, but hated that he was keeping secrets. She had told him everything during their travels, and he had yet to reveal anything about his past. The next time they spoke, she would change this.

She waited for him to call, planning to interrogate the hell out of him. She waited. Minutes turned into hours. Hours turned into days; days into weeks; still no call. Now she was worried. She called him repeatedly. Always receiving a flatline on the other end. What was wrong?

Just as she was about to find out, an older Quarian appeared at her door. Her name was Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She was one Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Rayya's closest friends and like a mother to Tali.

"Auntie Raan!" exclaimed the young Quarian, throwing her arms around Shala. The older Quarian appeared distressed, inviting Tali's curiosity. "What's wrong, Raan?" she asked, letting Shala sit down.

"We have received news of your... friend," she explained, "Shepard vas Normandy." Tali's heart began beating faster at the mention of the commander. She needed something, _anything_ to tell her where he was.

"What is it?" asked Tali, her bright smile disappearing at Shala's pained expression.

"I-I don't know how to tell you this, child. I'll just let you listen to it." She handed Tali a small chip with the Alliance insignia on it. She inserted it into her omni-tool and it played an audio log in a familiar voice. As she listened, Tali went from curious to heartbroken.

* * *

Tali'Zorah vas Neema,

I am Councilor David Anderson. You may remember me as Commander Shepard's Captain. He told me a lot about you these past few months, and I'm sure he's told you a bit about me.

I am so sorry to inform you that John Shepard had been killed. The Normandy was shot down over Alchera. Joker told me personally that he watched the commander die. I know that you and John were close, and I thought you deserved more than a report from those insensitive bastards in the Alliance.

John was like a son to me, and I have not felt a pain like this in many years. He was smart, brave, and kind beyond measure. I want to thank you for making his last months in this life, in his words, the happiest he's ever had.

We don't know what killed the commander, but the surviving members of the Normandy's crew are all telling us that it wasn't the Geth. They seemed to believe that it was a Reaper, but we can't be sure. I wish I had more to give you.

From what John told me, I can tell that he was completely in love with you. I you ever need someone to talk to, find me on the Citadel. Any friend of his is a friend of mine.

I am sorry

* * *

At first, Tali was paralyzed with shock. She could barely register what the councilor had told her. Her mind was buzzing with feelings; sadness, confusion, anger, fear, regret. All she could do was sit down next to Shala, her face devoid of emotion. After a fee moments of just sitting there, Tali collapsed into Shala's arms. She began crying hysterically, barely able to breathe.

All Shala could do is hold the girl. She hated seeing this; Tali was like a daughter to her. Watching her cry like this was almost too much for the older woman to handle. She simply held Tali for what seemed like hours. Eventually, the young Quarian fell asleep, completely exhausted from emotions.

Shala laid her down on the bed and exited her room, only to come face-to-face with Han'Gerrel vas Neema. The tall admiral stared her down, seeing the sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Shala?" he asked.

"Tali," she explained. "She fell in love with... _someone_ during her pilgrimage. We just received word that he has been killed."

"You hesitated for a moment, Rann," observed Han. "Is there something I should know?" Shala paused for a few seconds before beginning her explanation.

"Shepard," she whispered. "She fell on love with _Shepard_."

"What?" exclaimed Gerrel. "Y-you mean..." He trailed off, unable to finish. "Does she know?" he asked.

"No," answered Raan. "And she never has to."

"Yes she does!" snapped the admiral. "If she fell in love with _him_, she needs to know what he did!"

"Why? What would that accomplish besides hurting her even more?" Gerrel went silent, unable to think of a response.

"Fine," he finally said. "One day, she will find out on her own." He walked away, leaving Shala alone in the empty corridor.

_Not if I can help it,_ she thought, walking away in the opposite direction.


	5. Chapter 5: Another Chance

**Another Chance**

* * *

Two years and seventeen days had passed since Commander John Shepard's death over the frozen planet, Alchera. His body had been recovered by the Shadow Broker, then stolen and given to Cerberus. This shady terrorist organization worked day and night to save the commander, and all their work was about to pay off.

"Commander Shepard!" shouted an english, female voice over the intercom. Shepard was laid out on an operating table, almost healed. He was finally waking up, due to an alarm.

"Ugh," he groaned, grabbing his side, "where the hell am I?" He was suffering from brief amnesia, completely forgetting what happened to him two years ago.

"You're in a med-bay, but there's no time to explain! Grab your armor and a pistol from the security locker!" The commander tried to stand, but his side flared with pain. He barely caught himself from falling face-first onto the steel floor. Slowly, he limped to the locker, pulling out a pistol and some armor. The various scars and cuts from his surgery burned like hell as he pulled on the armor. He checked the pistol, and found that it was empty.

"This pistol doesn't have a thermal clip!" he shouted.

"You're in a med-bay!" responded the voice. "Just get out of there an- shit! That door's going to blow, take cover!" He barely had time to duck behind a crate when the door exploded, revealing three LOKI mechs. They opened fire, peppering the crate with bullet holes.

Shepard was completely unarmed save for an empty pistol. Luckily, he spotted a small wrist band next to the operating table. It had the markings of a high-end omni-tool, and it was behind just enough cover to reach.

He quickly rolled across the opening between him and the omni-tool, a bullet grazing his back. He grunted in pain, but was still able to put on the device and activate it without trouble. It appeared to be his old tool, even containing his personalized attack drone, nicknamed Ashkore. He activated it and a small, holographic ball materialized in front of him. It barked happily (a feature Shepard had installed years ago) and left t cover.

Ashkore was a specially designed drone, able to fire deadly bolts of electricity at anything marked as an enemy by its top-of-the-line IFF. It managed to blow the head off of two of the mechs before being shot down itself. Luckily, attack drones are software, completely stored within the omni-tool, meaning that their "physical" form means absolutely nothing to its survival. The only way a drone can "die" is if the omni-tool is destroyed.

The remaining security mech was confused, having lost track of the commander. After the short cool-down on his omni-tool, Shepard activated his sound-dampening stealth field. He ran up behind the mech and smashed its head in with his pistol. He picked up the various thermal clips and continued. Utilizing his stealth field, he managed to sneak past most of the mechs until he saw another human.

A dark-skinned soldier with short, black hair and a Cerberus jumpsuit was firing on a group of five mechs. Shepard assisted, shooting each of the enemies in the "face," not missing once.

Once the threat was taken care of, the soldier stood and turned around. "Shepard?" he exclaimed. "What the hell?" He raised his hands in surrender upon seeing the commander's gun pointed between his eyes.

"What's Cerberus doing on this station?" asked Shepard, not once moving his gun.

"What are you talking about?" asked the soldier.

"Don't play dumb, soldier! I'd recognize that symbol anywhere!" He gestured tothe orange insignia on his chest.

"No, I mean what are you talking about, this is a Cerberus station." Shepard looked around, seeing the same symbol on the walls. He was in a Cerberus space station? What the hell?

"What am I doing here?" he demanded, still under the effects of amnesia.

"You've been here for two years and seventeen days," explained the operative. "We spent sixteen billion credits to bring you back." Shepard lowered his gun slightly.

"Bring me back?" he asked.

"Y-you don't remember?" asked the soldier. "You were killed over Alchera two years ago by a Reaper." Suddenly, all of the memories came flooding back. Saying goodbye to Tali, avoiding her questions, the Normandy being destroyed, himself getting spaced. He just stood there, silent, wide-eyed and shaking. He dropped his gun and began stuttering.

"H-how did... when did y- where..." He could barely think, much less speak. Suddenly, a group of security mechs charged in and began firing, a bullet hitting Shepard in the leg. He shouted in pain, clutching his bleeding wound and dragging himself to cover. It would appear that his ability to suppress pain had faded over the years, as well as his other strengths.

"Hold on, Commander!" shouted the Cerberus operative. "I've got some medi-gel!" He crawled over, nearly being shot several times, and administered the healing agent. The wound instantly felt better, the superheated projectile having dissolved already.

"Thanks!" said the commander. This man may have been Cerberus, but he just risked his life to prevent Shepard from bleeding out. Together, they took out the mechs and continued on.

"What's your name?" asked the commander, seeing this man in a new light. He wasn't just a terrorist, that much was clear. He was also a fellow soldier, and an impressive one at that.

"Jacob Taylor, ex-Alliance," he replied. As soon as he said that, they heard a gunshot and someone scream in pain. They turned the corner, finding another human with a shot-open leg and a broken pistol. Next to him lay a LOKI mech with a smashed-in "face."

"Wilson!" exclaimed Jacob, running to the injured man. He applied some medi-gel to the wound and helped Wilson up. He turned to Shepard. "Commander, this is Wilson. He's one of the people who put you back together." Wilson just stood there, eyes half closed. He was barely breathing, unable to move or speak. Shepard and Jacob put his arms around their shoulders and began carrying him.

Luckily, they didn't run into any more mechs. They reached the shuttle bay and opened the door when a woman appeared. She had black hair, caucasian skin, and a very... tight outfit. The moment they saw her, Wilson snapped out of his dazed state.

"Miranda!" he exclaimed. "But you're supposed to be-" He was interrupted when she shot him in the head with a powerful Carnifex handgun, his brains shooting out all over the ground behind him.

"Dead?" she continued for him. She holstered her gun just as the commander reached for his. He was alarmed when it wasn't there. "Wilson was the traitor. He took your gun and was aiming it at your back, commander." He looked at the body, seeing that she was speaking the truth. In the hand of the dead man was Shepard's pistol.

"And who are you?" he asked, retrieving his weapon.

"Miranda Lawson, the director of the Lazarus Project; the operation that brought you back to life." She turned, not allowing him to respond. "Come on, we've got to get you to my organization's leader."

"You mean the Illusive Man," stated the commander. "I know you're Cerberus." She chuckled lightly.

"Of course you knew," she responded. "You'd make a pretty bad Spectre if you couldn't recognize our organization's insignia. Regardless, we briught you back to life. The least you could do is speak with the Illusive Man." She walked to the shuttle and, after a few moments, the others followed.


	6. Chapter 6: Ghosts

**Ghosts**

* * *

**Note****: **I hate the Illusive Man so damn much it's not even funny. My extreme hatred would be reflected in my writing, ruining his "good guy act."

**Important Note: **Another big plot change is coming up in this chapter. I'm sorry, but having Tali join up halfway through the game? No, sir!

* * *

Half-an-hour after Shepard had gone inside to speak with the Illusive Man, he stepped back out. Instead of the armor he had on the previous station, he now sported his old environmental suit that had somehow been saved from the Normandy. It was pitch-black with a built-in stealth field generator and several, less legal, modifications. It could survive through any climate, the vaccum of space, and the elements. It was made out of seemingly indestructable materials, but could still be punctured by a bullet. Only one piece was missing, but Shepard had buried that part of himself long ago.

His old Black Widow sniper rifle had also been saved along with his omni-tool. He was prepared for virtually any situation that didn't require biotics, but those were rare. He silently walked to the shuttle, motioning for Miranda and Jacob to follow. Once they were in the shuttle, he told the pilot to set a course for Freedom's Progress.

Four hours later, the colony came into view. "What's the primary objective?" asked Jacob.

"Finding evidence of Reaper involvement is our objective, but securing any survivors takes priorty," responded Shepard. A few days ago, Freedom's Progress lost all communications, like several other Human colonies before it. The Illusive Man believed that the Reapers were the cause, sending the commander to investigate. Off the record, it was an evaluation of Shepard's skills to see if Miranda had done her job right.

The shuttle touched down, dropping of the team. After few moments, the the three split up to cover more ground. Once he was far enough away, Shepard activated Ashkore. The little blue ball yipped and spun with joy. It had several functions; the one being used at the moment was "flashlight."

After about five minutes, the commander heard several gunshots to the east. He ran for the origin, finding Miranda and Jacob aiming their weapons at a small group of Quarians. Several security mechs lay behind both groups, the source of the noise.

Before the situation could escalate, Shepard put himself between the opposing sides. Both had looks of confusion on their faces and stood speechless until one of the Quarians steeped forward. She was short, thin, and wore dark pink fabrics. Her mask was also tinted pink, and her eyes were full of confusion.

"S-Shepard?" she asked. He hadn't recognized her before, but the voice sent shudders down his spine. It was slightly synthesized, like all Quarians, but had a beautiful accent.

"Tali?" he responded. His reply hit her like a brick, creating nothing but complete and utter silence. His face could be reproduced by a skilled surgeon, but his completely natural voice was nearly impossible to fake; there was no hint of synthetic voice replication.

In the end, Tali couldn't bring herself to choke out anything. Tears were flowing from her eyes like miniature waterfalls as she examined the commander. Nothing aside from faint facial scarring indicated any possibility of an imposter. A clone would have no need for said scars, nor would a VI or AI. He even wore his old armor and wielded his sniper rifle. There was little to no possibility of him being anything but the real thing. Tali had almost wished that it was, however. An imposter would be easier to deal with; she would just shoot it in the face.

This would be more difficult. She was so wracked with emotion that the only thing her mind could will her body to do was run and cry alone. This was what she did. Pushing past her comrade, se ran to the nearest door, which lead to a small balcony. Shepard went to follow, but was stopped by another one of the Quarians.

"Stop right there, Cerberus!" he shouted, raising his assault rifle. "I don't know what you did to Tali'Zorah, but I'm sure as hell not letting you just walk up to her! At least not armed." Shepard nodded, handing the Quarian his gun and walking to the door.

"Tali, I-" was all the commander could say before choking at the sight of her. She had collapsed to the ground, leaning against a short wall. Her head was in her hands and she was quiety weeping. Upon hearing him approach, her sobs grew louder.

"You were dead," was all she managed to choke out. The sight broke Shepard's heart. Seeing anyone in this state was depressing at best, but this was the woman he loved. He realized that the attack two years ago was out of his control, bit he somehow felt guilty for her pain.

"I was rebuilt," he said, slowly walking toward her. He eventually kneeled to her level, gently pulling away her hands so she could see him. "And I haven't forgotten." It was painful for him to look her in the eyes, to see so much pain. He forced himself to accept what he had done, and hoped that she would do the same.

"Joker saw you die," she whispered, calming down slightly. She was still filled with emotions, but the bad ones were calming down. All she could feel was a numbness where only pain had previously been.

"I know," he responded. "Cerberus found me. They spent two years and billions of credits rebuilding me." He knew of no way to help her but speak the truth. Cerberus was an anti-alien terrorist group. Given the Quarians' already less-than-ideal standing with the galactic community, Cerberus had probably "confronted" them more than once.

Tali _wanted_ to hate him. She wanted to scream at him and break his heart. He had abandoned her for two years and broken his promise. She had buried everything but a body, and now it was coming back to haunt her. However, for all her reasons, she couldn't think of one that was _worth_ losing him. Shepard's death was _anything_ but his fault, and she knew it. His murder and ressurection was entirely outside of his control.

Unable to say anything due to her conflicting emotions, she simply leaped forward and wrapped her arms around the commander, pushing him onto his back. She was still crying, but the tears had become of joy rather than pain. She remembered everything that Shepard had done for her and instantly realized that nothibg could make her stop loving him.

The commander was, at first, worried that Tali was pouncing on him out of anger, but quickly realized her true intentions. He smiled, tears coming to his eyes, and put his arms around her. They laid together for several minutes until they heard a quiet cough and looked up, seeing Miranda standing only a meter away.

"I'm _so sorry_ to interrupt," she said, exaggerating the apology, "but we haven't got all night." The commander nodded and after a few more moments of staring into Tali's eyes, he stood. She was still firmly latched on to his arm, but Miranda knew she couldn't change _that_.

"Prazza," said Tali, regaining her composure and addressing the other Quarian, "this is Shepard." The soldier nodded, tossing the commander his gun.

"If you did half of what Tali'Zorah told us," he said, "I'd trust you even if you were Blood Pack." The commander nodded, smiling at the reputation he had gained with the Quarians.

"Thank you," responded Shepard. "I need to find something to tell us what happened here; do you have anything?"

"Yes," answered Tali, letting go of his arm. "A young Quarian named Veetor'Nara was here on his pilgrimage. He's still here and has reprogrammed the security mechs to attack on sight. He was always, er, _nervous_..."

"She means he was unstable," continued Prazza. "Combine that with damage to his CO2 scrubbers and an infection from open-air exposure, and he's likely delerious."

"Regardless, if he's here he may be able to help you," finished Tali.

"Good," replied Shepard. "I'll go find him."

"Er, don't you mean 'we!'" asked Miranda.

"No," responded the commander. "If you come with me, the Quarians will question my motives. If I were one of them, I'd sure as hell want to get to my pilgrim before two Cerberus operatives." Miranda glared at him angrily before responding.

"Very well," she finally said. "Jacob and I will wait here." Shepard nodded before walking away. About five minutes into his search, he spotted a group of mechs guarding a small building. He assumed that Veetor was inside, and took position to take out the enemy.

_One YMIR, three LOKI, and two FENRIS_, he thought. _Child's play_. Crouching behind a wall, he observed the security mechs through the scope of his rifle. They appeared to be confused (or whatever the synthetic equivelant is). They were behaving strangely, reacting to small noises much like an organic.

Once he got a good angle on the YMIR, Shepard took his shot. The projectile blasted through the mech's head, blowing it off. The rest of the body fell and, after a brief pause, exploded. The other security bots were destroyed by the blast, allowing Shepard free access to the building.

Inside, he found a young Quarian, probably not far into his Pilgrimige, typing frantically. He dis bit appear to notice Shepard, or was too busy or traumatized to care.

"Veetor?" asked the commander in a quiet voice. He didn't want to startle to young man; watching a colony disappear would have been traumatizing enough.

"No, no Veetor; not here. Swarms can't find; monsters can't take. No one escapes, no no no no no." He was so panicked that he couldn't even hear Shepard. He was still typing like a madman, an Shepard looked at the several monitors to see what he was doing.

Each monitor showed the perspective of a YMIR mech, looking down at a smaller group of LOKI's. he was remotely controlling all of them simutaneously, explainin the organic behavior. This young man must have been a genius to be able to control so many mechs at once.

Shepard tried to get Veetor's attention several more times to no avail. Eventually, he had an idea. Using his omni-tool, Shepard shut off the monitors, snapping Veetor out of his trance. The young Quarian stood, extremely confused, and faced Shepard.

"Human?" he asked. "B-but the monsters! They took all the humans. How did you escape? No one escapes!"

"I wasn't here," explained the commander. "I was sent here to find any survivors who could tell me about the attack." Veetor began to shake, apparently reliving the horrors. He was about to break down when Shepard approached and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," he said in a calming voice, "don't worry; I'm here to help you. With your help, I'm going to find who did this, and kill them." Shepard was always told by his fellow soldiers that he had a way of calming people's nerves, even before a battle. It was how he was so good at hand-to-hand fighting. Somehow,he could make people subconciously relax and let their guard down without doing anything.

After a few moments, Veetor nodded. "Y-you didn't see," he said, backing away, "but I see everything." He turned on one of the monitors, showing what happened through the view of a security camera. "Th-the monster come for you. The swarms find you, freeze you, and then the monsters take you away."

Shepard nodded, examining the recording. When it ended, the camera was pointing directly at one of the "monsters." The recording was fuzzy, but the commander recognized it instantly.

"My god," he gasped. "That's a collecter. I thought they kept to themselves." Collecters were giant, sapient insects with extremely advances technology. They would sometimes travel through the Omega-4 Relay to do business. This "business" mainly consisted of slave-trades and minor abductions. Now that they were abducting entire colonies, specifically human ones, they had become an enemy. And if they were the ones who killed Shepard two years ago, they made it personal.

"Thank you Veetor," said Shepard, "you've been very helpful."

"I recorded the monsters with my omni-tool," continued Veetor. "Recorded the swarms, lots of readings, dark energy." He handed the omni-tool to Shepard. Suddenly, he grew very grim and serious. "Please, find the monsters. Kill them."

"I will," responded Shepard, nodding. Knowing that colonies were being abducted was one thing, but seeing hownit affected a survivor? This young Quarian would never escape the memories, and would likely remain like this for the rest of his life. It was the smaller things like this that made Shepard so determined to defeat the Reapers.

Just then, the door behind them opened. Tali, Jacob, and Miranda all walked through. Tali smiled, seeing that the commander had managed to calm Veetor without violence. Miranda was relieved to see that Shepard hadn't completely ballsed everything up. Jacob was just happy to see a lack of dead bodies.

"Alright, Shepard," began Miranda, "grab the Quarian and we'll get back to the Illusive Man." That was the moment Shepard began to hate Miranda. Tali was about to argue, but the commander beat her to it.

"What?" he nearly shouted. "Veetor is injured and traumatized! He needs a doctor, not an interrogator! He goes with Tali!" Tali smiled, glad that Shepard had truly remained the man she loved.

"Very well, Commander," said the Cerberus Officer. _Why does he keep denying everything I tell him to do, _she asked herself_. The Illusive Man should have let me implant that control chip_! She walked outside, Jacob following after a quick salute.

The other Quarians came in and collected Veetor. When everyone was gone, Tali and Shepard stood face-to-face in the center of the room.

"Thank you, Shepard," said Tali, approaching him. "I'm glad to see that Cerberus hasn't changed you."

"Tali," he said, resting his hand against the side of her head, "if it weren't for the Reapers, I would have left Cerberus already." She smiled slightly, grasping his hand with both of hers.

"If it weren't for the Reapers, we'd have never met," responded Tali. He winced slightly, not enough for her to notice. _If only you knew_, he thought.

"True," he replied. "I suppose I owe them for that. Maybe I'll be a bit gentler when I completely annhilate their entire fleet." He smiled, looking through her helmet. He knew a lot about Quarians, but had never seen one without a mask. He had seen photographs from centuries ago, but never in real life.

The Quarians resembled humans slightly. Their skin was colored various tones of purple and sometimes alabaster. Their eyes glowed faintly, usually a vibrant purple or white. Their hair was always black, regardless of their skin. Quarians had no body or facial hair, unlike humans. This was a very good thing, as hair in places other than the head would severely complicate life in a suit. The part of their face that really differed from humans was their large, pointed ears. These ears were extremely flexible, able to adapt comfortably to the helmet. In short, Quarians were a simply beautiful people.

"I wish you would come with me," he whispered, growing serious.

"Why do you have to wish?" she asked. "I want to come with you." This caught Shepard off guard.

"R-really?" he asked. "I thought you would want to stay with your people."

"No. The admiralty has been getting worse with their arguments about the Geth, and my father has become extremely reclusive. All that remains for me in the Migrant Fleet is a list of unimportant assignments. I want to be with you, Shepard. To be out on the front line again, fighting the Reapers alongside their greatest enemy." She smiled and hugged him, nestling her head under his chin. "I love you, John. I want nohing more than to be with you out there, Cerberus or no."

"Then we should get to the shuttle," he responded. "I'm sure Cerberus has another ship ready for us to break."


	7. Chapter 7: Remembrance

**Remembrance**

* * *

"Run!" screamed a man to his wife as he was gunned down by Batarian soldier. The woman, with an unborn child, ran as fast as she could. However, the Batarian was faster still, grabbing her by the back of the neck and turning her to face him.

"Galak is gonna make you scream," he sneered. Suddenly, his eyes widened and then went black as a bullet pierced his skull. His grip loosened and the woman ran, safely making it to the safehouse. Just then, four Alliance Marines appeared, each wielding a different weapon.

The the far left was Nathan "Knight" Black, toting a heavy shotgun. His entire body was encased in heavy, white armor, his face shrouded by a black mask. Underneath the armor was an massive man, feared by even his old instructors. He was mute, due to an explosion sending shrapnel through his throat six years ago. Still, he was able to follow orders to the letter, making him an asset to this team.

On the far right was James "Crypt" Smith. He had light armor, an assault rifle, and a death mask. Able to open any lock and hack any computer, he was an essential to the team. Very skilled with a rifle, he was ready for almost any combat situation. However, he was also a complete smartass. He questioned every order and never seemed to shut up. He and Knight formed a perfect Yin Yang, even if they hated each other.

To the right of Knight was the only woman on the squad, Hannah "Hellfire" Nile. Given her nickname when she decimated a Batarian strike force with a well-placed singularity field, Hellfire was a respected soldier. She was the only one without a helmet, instead creating a strong biotic barrier to protect her head. She had long, brown hair, grey eyes, and tan skin.

To her right was the leader. Standing only slightly shorter than Knight and almost a head taller than Hellfire, he was an intimidating sight. Wearing skin-tight, pitch black armor of Quarian design and wielding a black widow sniper rifle, Commander John Shepard was ready to kill some Batarians.

"Fucking scum," spat Hellfire, furious. "Batarians slaughter for goddamn fun."

Knight grunted, saying more than any real words could. He was agreeing with Hannah, stating his hatred for the Batarians. After spending so much time with him, the whole team could understand..

"Knight, Crypt, head east and report any stragglers to me," ordered Shepard. "Do not engage, we need them alive." The pair in question nodded in confirmation before heading east. Once they were gone, Hannah spoke up.

"Shepard," she said, "d'ya really think they're all dead?" They were walking down a once-crowded street, now cluttered with innocent corpses and crashes aircars. Save for the two soldiers, the entire city seemed completely devoid of life. Elysium was just one of the last in a long line of planets attacked in the Skyllian Blitz.

"I'm not sure," replied the commander, "but we can't be too careful. Too many people are dead already, I don't want to lose more to a survivor." They continued silently until they heard gunshots to the east.

"Crypt, come in," Shepard demanded into the comm; there was no response. "Knight, do you copy?" Still nothing. Shepard and Hannah glanced at each other before sprinting toward the source of the gunshots.

Once they arrived, they came upon a horrifying sight. A massive pile of human corpses covered the street, all doused in oil. Next to the pile laid twenty three dead Batarians, one of which held a lighter, ready to burn the dead. Leaned against the wall of corpses was Crypt, alive. Barely.

"Jimmy!" shouted Shepard, running to the lieutenant's side. "What happened?"

"Batarians tried to light the fire!" gasped Crypt, barely able to speak. "We got the drop, killed a few." He began coughing up blood before continuing. "Got shot, Knight went ape-shit. Tried to kill the rest." With a weak hand, he pointed to a huge, armored corpse. "Died charging the last one." He chuckled faintly. "Fat-ass probably crushed the bastard."

"We'll get you help, Jimmy," assured Hannah. "Hang in there."

"Fire," whispered Crypt, referring to Hannah, "you've gotta get out of here. They used shredder rounds on me. Insides got fucked up real bad. Ain't no hope for me but a bullet." Tears started forming in Shepard's eyes as he watched his comrade dying. He watched as Hannah nodded and raised her pistol.

"Goodbye," she said, before pulling the trigger.

* * *

"CRYPT!" screamed Shepard as he nearly fell out of his bed. Cold sweat drenched his body as his heart slowed back to a normal beat. Breathing heavily, he got up and walked to his cabin's small restroom.

Splashing some water on his face, he began fo recall the day's events. After Freedom's Progress, he reported to the Illusive Asshole, met up with Joker, was introduced to the beautiful Normandy SR2, met EDI (the ship's AI), and decided to get some rest.

Suddenly, he heard a light knock on the cabin door. He quickly dried his face and opened the door, revealing a very worried Quarian.

"John, are you alright?" she asked. "We heard you scream down in engineering."

"Yeah," he assured her, still breathing heavily, "just a dream."

"_Dreams_ don't cause screaming that penetrates four solid metal floors." She stepped closer, putting her hand on his chest. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Shepard sighed heavily before speaking. "I was remembering Elysium. A friend, specifically."

"They died?" she asked. He nodded, a grim look on his face.

"One of them died fighting, the other we had to put out of his misery." A tear came to his eye as he remembered his fallen friends.

"Were there any others?" asked Tali in a soft voice.

"Yeah," answered Shepard. "I don't want to talk about it. Not yet." She nodded. They stood in silence for a few moments before EDI spoke.

"Commander, we've arrived at the Citadel."


	8. Chapter 8: Thieves, Councilors, C-Sec

**Thieves, Councilors, and Citadel Security**

* * *

**Note: **For my followers who recently received a bombardment of emails for new chapters, I apologize. I screwed up and deleted them, so I had to respost. I apologize for the confusion.

**Also note **that Shepard is my own personal creation. He's not like the game's Paragon or Renegade, nor is he any of the classes. He is a special mixture of everything (plus a special twist that I'll add in later). This means that he's a special kind of soldier, but not exactly an infiltrator or an engineer. He's also a grey mix of Paragon and Renegade, being merciless to his enemies and compassionate to his friends. I just don't see why

Paragon = Forgiving to the point of stupidity

and

Renegade = Complete asshole to everyone and ridiculously stupid, gung-ho, psycho who's likely in a constant roid-rage.

* * *

"Commander Shepard, enter the password and receive a free gift!" chirped one of the Citadel's holographic advertisements as the commander exited his car. He cautiously approached the hologram, wondering how it was speaking to him. _Doesn't feel like one of those ID-recognizing ads._ He thought through several passwords, before remembering the one Cerberus had given him.

"Silence is golden," he responded, earning a smile from the small, Japanese woman on the screen. She had the look of a criminal, wearing a tight, black suit and a hood the obscured half of her face.

"Good to finally meet you, Shep!" she exclaimed. He chuckled lightly at the nickname, having worked with several people who called him the same thing. "Kasumi Goto, I'm a fan. I barely recognized you; you look so different without armor." He was wearing casual attire: jeans, an N7 jacket, and a white shirt.

"Nice to meet you, Kasumi," he responded, half genuine and half attempting to appear unsuspicious. "Mind if we speak in person? I feel kind of stupid standing here talking to an advertisement." Suddenly, the screen went blank and the real thief appeared, leaning on its side.

"Fair enough," she said, thrusting a hand out. He shook it, keeping an eye on the other. Had he not been looking, it would have found its way to his pocket. Luckily, he caught it and stopped her from stealing his wallet. Very, very few people still held the archaic things, but the commander always had a taste for the old-fashioned.

"Nice try," he said, a sly smile on his face. He released her hand, and continued on his way. "See you on the Normandy."

He kept walking, eventually reaching the security checkpoint. When he passed through the scanner, an alarm began blaring. Sighing, he reached into his holster, slowly pulling out the pistol. Before he could get it out, the Turian officer held out a hand, palm open.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, sir," he said. "The scanners label you as a dead Commander Shepard, Spectre. You should see Captain Bailey to clear this up and, dead or not, you can keep your gun." Shepard nodded before proceeding. To his right was whom he believed was Captain Bailey sat at a desk yelling at one of the officers.

"You have to make him shout a bit," he shouted, "he won't tell you everything just because you ask!"

"Yes sir," replied the other officer. She appeared to be rather afraid, whether it was fear of the interrogation or the captain, he couldn't tell.

"If you don't have the stomach for it, or you're afraid of getting reported, I can handle it!"

"N-no sir, I can handle it!" she responded, before getting up and heading to the interrogation room. The captain turned towards Shepard, tapping on his keyboard.

"I see the problem already," he said, still looking at the screen. "This here scan says your dead."

"I was; I clawed my way back," responded the commander, solemnly. "Can you fix it?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Bailey. "Though it's quite a process. First, you should head t-"

"Cut the bullshit," growled Shepard, losing his patience. "I know for a fact that C-Sec can get around that with the touch of a button."

"True," said the captain, unfazed. "You want me to press the button?"

"Do it." Bailey tapped the button, his screen going ablaze with information. After a few moments, he looked up.

"You're alive," he said, "but you might want to head up to the presidium. The Council would probably like to know that their missing Spectre is back in action." Shepard grunted affirmatively before heading toward the transport shuttle.

After a few minutes, he arrived at the presidium. Councilor (formerly captain) Anderson, standing next to three holographic representations of the other Council members.

"Ah, Shepard," exclaimed Anderson, a smile forming on his face. "We were just talking about you!"

"Yes, Commander," said the Salarian Councilor, Valern, "we were discussing your supposed return. Some of the details concerning your resurrection are... concerning."

"We have brought you here to explain yourself; we owe you that much," continued the Asari Councilor - Tevos - without missing a beat. "After all, you saved our lives two years ago."

"Sources claim that you have been working with Cerberus, an avowed enemy of the Council! This is treason, a capital offen-" began Sparatus, the Turian, before being cur off by Shepard.

"Cerberus works for me!" growled the commander. "The collectors are abducting entire human colonies, and you're not doing a fucking thing!" Tecos and Valern appeared surprised, while Sparatus was just angrier.

"We cannot become involved in a purely human matter!" he exclaimed. "As a Spectre, you shoul-"

"Fuck you, Sparatus!" shouted Shepard, using the councilor's first name. He slammed his closes fist against the metal table, denting it."If these were Turian colonies, you'd be sending STG, Spectres, probably a fucking army! I didn't come here to get screwed by a bunch of politicians. You want to take me in for treason, fine. You forget that I saved this damn station! How far do you think you'll get?"

The Councilors were all shocked at Shepard's open anger, having become used to their operatives being able to remain professional at all times. "We will not be putting you on trial," hissed Tevos. "In fact, we are doing you a favor. We are willing to reinstate your Spectre status."

"It's mostly just a title," said Sparatus, visibly bottling rage. "It's a sign of support, as long as you keep to the Terminus Systems. We may not like you personally, Commander, but there's no question that you're a superb soldier."

At first, there was silence. Then, the most unexpected thing happened: Shepard started laughing. At first, it was just a chuckle. Then, slowly, it evolved into a hysterical fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"I told you he was mentally unstable," remarked Valern. "He's dangerous!" Suddenly, the laughter stopped, replaced by a serious silence.

"Oh, I'm dangerous all right," said Shepard. "But not to you three; I'm not stupid. I do have one thing to say to you, though."

"Oh?" they all asked in unison.

"You can take that offer..." he gave them a long, dramatic pause. "And shove it up your asses. You've never helped me, and you never will."

"You're making powerful enemies, Shepard!" said Sparatus before he cut his connection. The others followed, leaving Anderson and Shepard alone.

"Well," sighed the Councilor, "that went better than expected."

"What do you mean?" asked Shepard, leaning against the railing.

"I was afraid they'd actually take you to court," admitted Anderson. Suddenly, Udina burst into the room.

"Anderson!" he shouted, "we need to talk about- Shepard? What are you doing here?" Shepard almost laughed at the man's expression.

"The council decided to gave me some bullshit about being a 'Spectre' again. I told 'em where to shove it." The look on the ambassador's face was priceless.

"What!?" he exclaimed. "You damn soldiers! Always charging into a problem head on with no regard for the long-term consequences!" He probably would have continued, if Anderson hadn't punched him in the face.

"I should get back to my work," states Udina after a few moments of recoil. He then walked away, muttering angrily.

"Finally managed to pit a leash on that asshole?" asked Shepard. Anderson nodded, a smug smile on his face.

"Yeah, it took a while. He still has his uses though: does most of the paperwork and goes to all of those political meetings I can't be bothered with." Shepard chuckled lightly before joining Anderson in leaning against the balcony rail.

"How've the years treated you?" asked Shepard.

"It was rough for a few months. Me, the people, your crew, we all mourned you in our own ways. I sent out messages to your friends, offering my condolences. Your Quarian friend took it pretty hard."

"Yeah, I imagine," Shepard sighed. "Still remember what I told you about her before...?"

"Not all of it, just that you exaggerated everything." They both laughed lightly at the memory. "I remember you stating that 'she's the best thing to ever happen to you.'"

"She is," responded Shepard, seriously. "I just have a hard time showing it."

"Ah, I see you still haven't changed," said Anderson. "I'd figured her being a Quarian would help."

"Actually, I think it's going to make it worse," responded Shepard, suddenly growing serious. "Her father's an admiral."

Anderson stepped back in shock. "Damn, John," he exclaimed quietly. "You can't get close to an Admiral's daughter! They'll kill you!"

"I know," sighed the commander, "but I can't let that stop me. I love her too much to let some ass like Rael ruin my life again."

* * *

**Buh buh BUUUUH! **The plot thickens!

Just so you know, Anderson basically raised Shepard in this story. It will be explained in-depth later, but I wanted to make sure that it was clear.

Everything will be explained eventually.


	9. Chapter 9: Archangel

**Archangel**

* * *

A peaceful sleep, one of the first in years. A young Quarian, sixteen years of age, had been haunted by nightmares for far too long. He had dreams of Geth coming to his home, the Alarei, and killing his family. His adopted mother and father, Sara and Shor'Ahad; their daughter, Kara. He cared about them all so much, and would wake up in a panic whenever he dreamt of their deaths.

His name was Shem'Ahad, a human raised by Quarians. At three weeks old, his father found him amidst the rubble of a city ruined by Batarian raiders, his parent's corpses nearby. He brought the child back, barely able to convince the captain to allow him to stay. He raised the boy with his bondmate, slowly adapting his system to digest dextro-foods.

Humans were a remarkable people, able to adapt to nearly any situation with ease. It took many years, but Shem could eventually eat with his family without his body rejecting the food. He was also a prodigy, with the mind of a Salarian and the combat prowess of a Turian. If it could fire, he knew how to use it perfectly, making him the perfect candidate for the Migrant Fleet Marines, when he came of age.

Despite Shem's ability to integrate himself within society, he was still _different_. He found himself shunned by his elders. His younger peers, however, grew up alongside him an treated him as any other. He had his friends and his enemies, though the latter were very powerful. Two of them were admirals: Han'Gerrel and R-

"Get up!" shouted a massive soldier. He grabbed Shem by the throat and yanked him from his bed. He began dragging the boy down the empty corridor before stopping abruptly.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Shem, unable to move his hands. They were bound behind his back with an omni-tool, which he was discretely hacking.

"You're under arrest per Rael'Zorah's orders." They thrust him into a small cell, not bothering to remove the omni-cuffs.

"Under what charges?" demanded Shem, hands now free but still behind his back.

"Treason and attempted murder of an admiral," responded the large Quarian before shutting the door.

* * *

"We're almost to Omega," informed Joker through the intercom, "ETA thirty minutes." Shepard nodded to speaker, as if the helmsman could hear him. He was on the crew deck, heading towards the bar.

When he opened the door, he discovered that Kasumi had made it her home. Paintings (likely stolen) covered the walls and the thief herself sat on the small couch. She smiled as he entered, waving happily. To her right sat Tali, who looked to have just ended a conversation.

"Hey, Shep!" greeted Kasumi, apparently enjoying the nickname. "We were just talking about you." Shepard grinned, vaguely seeing Tali blush through her mask.

"Oh?" he replied, sitting down to the thief's left. He tried to suppress a laugh as Tali was visibly panicking, trying to answer before the thief.

"Yep, and let me tell you, Tali is soooo cute," responded Kasumi, the look in Tali's dismayed eyes causing Shepard to laugh lightly. Kasumi continued as if he hadn't made a noise, "you're all she talks about in this sweet, rainbows-and-butterflies kind of way."

Tali stood up quickly, rushing to the door. "I have to check on the engine," she stammered, "as much as I'd love to find out what that phrase even means, It'll have to wait." With that, the Quarian took her leave.

"So, I'm 'all she talks about?'" asked the commander, still grinning widely.

"Oh yeah," answered Kasumi, taking a serious tone. "She loves you, Shepard. Be good to her."

"Don't worry," he responded, looking back to the closed door. "Too much has been taken from me to lose her." Ge looked back, seeing a quizzical look on the thief's face. "What?"

"I can't figure you, Shep. One second your killing without a second thought, the next you're going all 'mysterious stranger' on me."

"Hmph," he grunted, standing up. "Odds are, you'll never find out what I'm all about." Without another word, Shepard exited the room. **(HINT HINT *wink*)**

* * *

"So, Omega," said Tali, waiting impatiently for the shuttle to land. "Have any story about this place, Shepard?" She was trying to figure out where he came from; why would he guard it so closely if it wasn't significant?

_No harm in telling her this, I suppose. _"I... came here when I was seventeen. I worked as a hitman for a while, always taking contracts against mercs, criminals, etc. I barely scraped enough credits together to make it to Earth."

"Where did you come from?" asked Kasumi, hoping that he would mindlessly continue.

"Hey, you got your story." Just then, the shuttle landed. They exited the small aircraft and were greeted by a rather unusual sight. A Batarian was getting the unholy shit beaten out of him by an older fellow in bright orange armor.

"Please, you have to help me," begged the Batarian as they approached.

"No one said you could talk, jackass!" shouted the human as be kicked his victim. He turned around, revealing a severely scarred face. "Who the hell're you?"

"Commander Shepard," responded the commander, unfazed by the brutal beating playing out in front of him. "You?"

"Zaeed Massani, I hear we've got a galaxy to save."

"Yes, and I've been briefed on your assignment. We'll get it done.

"Good, now let's get to becoming big goddamn heroes!" As he spoke, the Batarian quickly jumped to his feet and began sprinting away, only to be shot down by Zaeed. "I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink. I'll be locked and loaded by the time we get off this rock."

"Good," responded Shepard before continuing on his way.

"Sooo, thief, bounty hunter, two Cerberus operatives, and a Quarian admiral's daughter," observed Kasumi. "You've got a way with people, Shep." Shepard quietly chuckled at the observation before being stopped by another Batarian.

"Moklan," greeted Shepard with a glare.

"Shepard," responded the Batarian with the same look. "Aria wants you, _now_."

"Of course she does. I'm surprised, Moklan. Reduced to sending messages for her. Whatever happened to the ass-kicking machine I used to know?"

"He died on that job with the Hanar prostitute, now get out of my face, jackass." With that, Moklan pushed past Shepard and dow the corridor.

"Hanar prostitute?" asked Tali, barely able to comprehend what just happened.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," responded Shepard, shuddering. She nodded back, almost glad that he decided not to answer. The kept walking, past a crowd and into Afterlife, the most successful nightclub on Omega, home to Omega herself.

"Oh, look here," said the leader of a small gang of Batarians. "Two humans and their Quarian pet." His gang started laughing, until the leader found his right arm broken and a pistol to his throat.

"You have five seconds to rephrase that or they'll never find your body," growled Shepard, fire in his eyes.

"Uh, what I meant to say," stammered te Batarian, "was 'look, a group of fine, heavily armed individuals.' Please don't kill me." Shepard held him still for a few moments until pushing him into the arms of his friends, grinning evilly.

"Don't let me catch you causing trouble again, or I'll break a more _useful_ appendage." The Batarian nodded, terrified.

* * *

"Aria, someone's here to see you," informed one of the crime lord's Turian guards. "Two humans and a Quarian."

"That right?" responded the Asari. "Bring them in." The doors opened, revealing Shepard, Tali, and Kasumi.

"It's been a long time, Aria," greeted Shepard, pushing past the guards.

"Too long," responded Aria. "The mercs have been getting stronger during your absence."

"Well, I'm not here to stay. I'm looking for someone." He sat down across from the Asari.

"Oh? Who?" She seemed slightly disappointed.

"Archangel. I know you know where he is."

"Ah, I see. I wasn't aware that the great Commander Shepard was still a hitman."

"I'm not," growled the commander, "I'm recruiting him."

"Oh, we'll you're gonna have a hell of a time fighting through to him. The Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse are all attacking him." Shepard winced, remembering old wounds from those three organizations.

The Blue Suns leader had once shot him six times in the chest, each bullet just barely missing something vital. He had to fight three Blood Pack Krogan at once, getting his left leg mutilated in the process. Finally, he was thrown from the roof of a fifteen-story building by an eclipse biotic, his kinetic barriers just barely stopping the impact from killing him.

"I'll try not to get myself killed," said Shepard. "How can I get there?"

"Last I heard, the Mercs banded together and are hiring freelancers." Shepard thanked her for the information and left with his team. They left Afterlife and saw a group of armed people being shuttled off with a Blue Suns recruiter nearby.

"Finally, someone who looks ready for a fight," exclaimed the recruiter as they approached. "Though, there's not much use for Quarians, girl. We've got all the engineers, mechanics, and hackers we need."

Before Tali could open her mouth, Shepard spoke up. "The Migrant Fleet Marines are the most highly-trained soldiers in the galaxy, bar none. Blackwatch and N7 training doesn't even produce such fighters."

"Yeah, yeah," said the Batarian, waving his hand. "Got the same shit from an Elcor a few minutes ago. I'll let you in, but I'm just warning you that Archangel is dangerous." He let them sign their names and watched as they boarded the last shuttle.

"So, who were they?" he asked himself, looking at the list. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema, Kasumi Goto, and... Commander Shepard? No, that can't be right. Dammit, why are people always pretending to be that guy?" Frustrated, he threw the datapad containing "Commander Shepard's" signature over the rails and into the depths of Omega.

* * *

"Ready?" asked the commander. They had sabotaged the mercenaries in every way possible. Corrupting the YMIR Mech's targeting protocol, placing a remote detonator in the weapons stash, slipping poison into the supplies (in case this ended up a battle pf attrition), and violently murdering the troop transport's mechanic before it could be fully repaired.

The last one disturbed both Tali and Kasumi, though in different ways. Kasumi was simple revolted by the way that Shepard killed the man: stabbing an electric tool into his back and letting him die painfully. Tali, however, was not disturbed by the act but by how she felt _nothing_ about it. She had watched a man get viciously killed by the person she loved. Normally, this would cause at least some emotion, but she felt nothing as she watched the Batarian's life slip away.

She had that part of her mind locked away for two years, but now it was coming back. That cold, unfeeling creature that took her mind when she was in battle. Outside of fighting, the other hated part was returning, the constant need. The itch that only went away around Shepard. She hated it, but something stopped her from ever bringing it up.

"Sure," said Kasumi, knocking Tali out of her deep thought. "Just don't stab any more people with electric things. It's kind of gross." Shepard grunted, moving forward to the bridge. The mercenaries were getting torn apart by Archangel, giving Shepard time to prepare.

They made their way across the bridge and into Archangel's base. It was stocked with ammunition and supplies to last far longer than the mercs could take. However, there was no way Archangel could keep his deadly focus over a battle of attrition, no matter how skilled he was.

A few eclipse mercenaries had made it to the door nearest to Archangel, and were almost finished hacking it. Just as they finished, Shepard's hate for the Eclipse took over his actions, and he put out his hand, loudly clearing his throat. Just as the mercenaries turned, they were both his by a heavy neural shock. The excruciating pain completely overloaded their brains, killing them.

"That was... terrifying," said Kasumi, shuddering. "Did you really need to kill them like that?" Shepard said nothing, instead continuing to the sniper, who had apparently killed enough mercenaries to make them retreat.

"Archangel?" he asked. To his surprise, the silent killer removed his mask, revealing a sight for sore eyes. Garrus Vakarian: Veteran, Rogue, Badass. Without a word, Vakarian punched the commander in the face, drawing blood.

"Fuck!" shouted Shepard, wiping the blood from his mouth. "What the hell was that for?"

"For ruining so many lives!" replied the Turian, angrily. "I don't know what it is, but people follow you without question. Me, Tali, Liara, hell, even Kaidan; we all became ruthless killers under your command. When you died, we lost the cold, calculating drive that made us such a cohesive unit.

"Some of us tried moving on in our lives; I even took your advice to become a Spectre. Something, however, rocked me to the core when Anderson sent me the news of your death. I couldn't operate in the military anymore; it brough back too many memories."

To Garrus' surprise, Shepard stated quiet for a long time. He looked to be in deep thought, then his eyes went wide, as if remembering something terrible. He began to shake, escalating from a slight shudder to an uncontrollable fit. Just when his companions thought he was done, he collapsed.

* * *

**So, **I hope you liked te chapter. Shem is, in a unique way, my very own character. Soon, he will have a **MASSIVE** role in the story, though nowhere nearbwhat you'd expect. If you see through what's going on, please don't put your guess in the reviews. Instead, PM them to me. I'd love to see just how see-through it all is.

I'm bad with mystery for the same reason I'm bad with detail. I already know the whole story; every detail. It's hard for me to take something that I already know and remove enough bits an pieces to make it a mystery, but still be readable.

Aaaaaand, I'm rambling. I know, but it's a sort of defense mechanism, a stupid one. Since y'all can't see my face, I have to make it very clear what I'm feeling.

...

If you remember that reference, you get a free space hamster, for only 5000 virtu-moneys, shipping and handling. What? Space hamsters are fucking **RARE! **Wait, you thought that ripoff on the Citadel was real? HAH! That was just a regular hamster LABELED "Space Hamster." Dumbass.

By the way, next chapter I'm gonna say a lit of shit and explain like a million things that don't make ANY sense.

If you know THAT reference, the shipping on the space hamster will be cut in half.

**ONE MORE THING!** I am in need of an editor. Someone to make the grammatical fixes and spelling checks that I'm just terrible at finding.


	10. Chapter 10: The Seeds of Madness

**The Seeds of Madness**

* * *

Trees; horrible, dead, black trees. They surrounded him, suffocating him. He could not move, the branches ensnared him. He could not scream, the bark muffled him. He was powerless, and all he could to was watch.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

He wouldn't listen, and the first image played before him. Elysium, his old squad. Tgier faces were covered in blood, surrounded by Batarian terrorists. Knight, Crypt, Hellfire, they all stare at him with black eyes, asking the same thing. "Why?"

He wanted to run to them, to save them. He wanted to help them get away from the killers around them. Before he could reach his friends, one Batarian dropped a match at their feet. Mere meters away, the he watched as his best friends burned alive,all screaming his name.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

Still, he refused to give in to the cold, hated voice. Another scene, Eden Prime. Jenkins, the young soldier of the Normandy, fighting off a horde of husks. Again, the commander tried to reach his comrade. Agian, his friend was ripped apart by the mindless killers just before he could be saved.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

"Never," responded Shepard. Another scene began, on Noveria. Matriarch Benezia standing before him, revealing Saren's secrets. Liara stood beside him, tears flowing from her eyes. He felt no remorse, and showed no mercy. One, two, three bullets throigh the Asari's skull, and her machinations were stopped forever. Liara screamed, grabbing her mother's corpse before it could hit the floor. Without a word, the young Asari pulled out her pistol, pushing the barrel against her temple. Before he could utter a word, she pulled the trigger.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

"Stop," begged Shepard, tears in his eyes. The voice cackled, before revealing yet another terrible moment. Virmire, Kaiden and Ashley stand aside one another. Wave after wave of geth swarm them, whittling down their shields. They see the commander, and their expressions become filled with sorrow. Suddenly, the bomb behind them goes off, obliterating them before his eyes.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

"Why are you doing this?" shouted the commander. Without an answer, he was released from the grip of the trees. He walked forward, cautiously, wary of any attackers. Suddenly, the mist before him turned into his two best friends, Garrus Vakarian and Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. Before he could get closer than a meter, the Turian aimed his pistol at Shepard.

"Don't come any closer, Shepard," hissed Garrus. "I'll kill you if I have to."

_What the he are you talking about, Garrus?_ Shepard wanted to ask that, but the words that came out of his mouth were competely different. "You're a damn fool, Vakarian. I have control of the Reapera now, and you can't stop me." He couldn't control himself as he raised his hand, now holding a Carnifex Hand-Cannon. With the twitch of a finger, Shepard's best friend lay dead.

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

"Please," cried Shepard. "I'll do anything, just don't make me hurt her!" Suddenly, the visage of Tali evaporated.

Anything?

"Anything, just don't hurt Tali."

_We are the vanguards of your destruction, the seeds of your madness._

With a pained sigh, Shepard responded. "You are the vanguards of my destruction, the seeds of my madness." The cold, evil voice laughed horribly, and everything faded.

* * *

**Yes, **this chapter was obscenely short. Don't put it in the reviews, I already know.


	11. Chapter 11: Revenge

Revenge

* * *

**Note: **Forgive me, but life has been shit lately.I won't go into details, but it involves siezures and panic attacks.

**Note: **I've regretting naming him John since the moment I published it. It's such a fucking cliché, and it bugs the hell out of me. I am currently working on a way to change his name without disrupting the story, so bear with me.

**One Last Note: **This chapter has one or two Deus Ex references. Specifically, one involving a certain medical drug.

* * *

Illium. Such a beautiful world; so full of life. Tali could remember, when she was younger, she fell in love with the Citadel's lower wards. The excitement, the crowds, _everything_ was just amazing!

Right now, she just wanted to leave. Go to a lifeless world and die. The "Archangel" mission was an absolute disaster. Just after Shepard had his seizure - a Kasumi called it - the mercenaries launched a final assault.

Oh, the team held them off well enough. Shepard was secured in a corner, which everyone defended to the best of their ability. However, just as it looked to be finished, a gunship appeared. It was malfunctioning and damaged, courtesy of the commander's sabotage, but could still fire.

Garrus, using a HMWSR X Sniper Rifle, shot right through the armor plating and hit the pilot. As the gunship fell, however, it shot off one perfectly aimed missile. It hit right in between Garrus and Shepard, almost killing them both. The only advantage Shepard has was his armor. Garrus' wasn't nearly as advanced, and he paid the price for it.

They now shared a hospital room in one of the best medical centers in te Terminus Systems. Tali was hopeless as she sat against the wall, tears filling her eyes. It had been months, and neither soldier even stirred. The doctors said that each day they remain asleep, there was a higher chance for them to die.

Shepard's odds of survival were now one to ten; Garrus, one to one-hundred. The commander sustained relatively light injuries. Of course, in comparison to Garrus, one arm wasn't too much to lose.

Yes, an arm. Shortly after hearing the news, the Illusive Man sent in a team of engineers and doctors to fashion the single most advanced cybernetic arm prosthesis ever designed. They refused to simply clone the arm, for reasons they withheld from anyone who asked.

The prosthetic limb was sleek, strong, and perfect. In order for seamless control, the arm was fitted with a complex artificial nervous-system. It could feel anything: the sting of a bullet, the heat of a fire, even the softness of silk. They said that his movement would be as fluid as a real arm, and the benefits would outshine cloning.

For example, the arm was nigh-indestructible. Made from a top-secret alloy, it was pitch-black and could withstand almost any punishment. Also, it contained a built-in shield, which could be used for full-body protection when out of combat and for shock-absorption when hitting something. It also had Shepard's personal omni-tool built in, but still accessible for physical upgrades.

Even Tali had to admit that it was a marvel of engineering. Garrus, however, was much less promising. Half of his face had been completely incinerated, his lef arm and leg destroyed, and several organs utterly decimated. It was a miracle that he was still breathing. Cerberus was funding his recovery, likely to keep Shepard's morale from breaking.

Tali was on the breaking-point. The two people she cared about the most (although she'd never admit it to Garrus), were in comas. They both could die, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she became. Eventually, she just slid down the wall, wrapped her arms around her legs, and silently cried.

* * *

Out of the darkness came a flash of blinding light. From painful white, everything began to focus. A sterile room with tiled walls and a smooth ceiling. Beeping emanating from the left; a machine monitoring someone's vitals. Look down slightly, to find a needle in the arm.

_What the hell is going on? _thought Shepard. _What happened?_ Suddenly, he remembered what occurred before he was dragged into hell. Garrus attacked him, and blamed him for the crew's dispersal.

Wait. A sound. Muffled sobs coming from beyond the end of his bed. Using all of his strength, the commander moved from his bed and found the source. A young Quarian was balled up in the corner, crying.

"Tali?" he asked, reaching out. Before she could respond, he noticed something. Why was he wearing a glove? What was- good god! It wasn't a glove, it was his entire right arm! Pulling the short sleeve of his gown up, he saw the point where cybernetics melded with flesh. He had lost an arm.

"Shepard!" exclaimed Tali, whom he had nearly forgotten about. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around the commander's neck. Carefully, he placed his hands on her back, noticing that the robotic limb could feel the suit's fabric normally.

"I was afraid you'd never wake up!" she said, her voice cracking with emotion. She was still crying, but much of the pain was lifted.

"Don't worry, I'm here now," he reassured, "how long was I asleep?"

"Th-three months," answered Tali. "You _and_ Garrus."

"Garrus?" asked Shepard. "Is he here?" Tali pulled away and silently pointed to the other half of the room. It was true; the Turian was indeed here, barely. Shepard walked to his decimated friend, observing the damage. Machines were breathing, stabilizing, and providing nutrients for him. It was a wonder that he was still alive.

"They are doing everything they can," said Tali. "Cerberus is giving incredible amounts of credits for the recovery. Still, his chances are low."

"How high were mine?" asked Shepard.

"One to ten," answered Tali. "His are one to one hundred."

"And you said that the Blue Suns did this?"

"You want to get revenge?"

"Of course; is there a problem?"

"Shepard, you and Garrus are my best friends. You two are the only people who have always been by my side. Of course I want to get back at the people who nearly killed you." As she spoke, an Asari nurse walked through the door, her eyes going wide as she saw the commander awake.

"C-Commander Shepard," se stuttered. "We weren't expexting you to wake up after this long."

"What can I say, I'm a fast healer," responded Shepard. "Whatever you need to check on me, do it quick. I need to get back out there ASAP." He half expected her to object, but she just did a few quick scans with her ombi-tool.

"Done," she sad after a few moments. "If I may say, sir, calling yourself a fast healer is a massive understatement. I've never seen someone's body get used to prosthetics so quickly. At this rate, we might not even need to put you on Neuropozyne at all.

Neuropozyne was a medical drug used to prevent the body from rejecting an implant or prothetic limb. Originating on Earth over a century ago, this drug revoltionized cybernetic implants the galaxy over (one of the leading causes to Humanity's acceptance). When it was first created, the user would be stuck on weekly injections for life. After a huge breakthrough, however, it is now only required for a maximum of five years. Rarely, there is a lucky person who's body bonds with the cybernetics rather than rejecting it, resulting in a natural lack of scar tissue and no need for the drug.

"Good, I fucking hate needles," joked Shepard. "Mind telling me where my clothes are?" The nurse pointed to a large footlocker which contained both his armor and casual attire. He chose the latter, carrying the former over his shoulder.

"I'll send the scans to the doctor," informed the nurse. "She'll forward them to your... employers." With that, Shepard and Tali left their injured friend in the hands of an attractive, young Asari nurse. Every soldier's dream.

* * *

"Zaeed!" shouted Shepard as he entered the engineering deck. "We're going after your old friends!"

"The fuck are yo-" began Zaeed before his eyes went wide. "How the hell did you know?"

"Fifteen years ago, you got really drunk on Omega and spilled your secrets to Aria. Ten years ago, she got really drunk and told a few of her friends about it. I happened to be on guard duty that night."

"That bitch," snarled Zaeed. "So you know about Vido?"

"Yes. And my guess is that, whatever's going on on Zorya, he's leading it on foot."

"And why are you suddenly so eager to incinerate some scum. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with your mission."

"They may have killed my best friend. When I'm done with them, they'll wish they were dead."

* * *

"ETA five minutes, Commander," said the pilot of their small shuttle. It was a big team this time, Zaeed, Kasumi, Tali, and Shepard. This was because both Zaeed and Shepard were known for their insanity during battle. If something went wrong and their was a split decision between the mission and revenge, they could split up.

"Alright," began Shepard, "the plan is simple. We go in as one unit until we reach either our target or the civilians. Tali an I have been put in a rough situation like this before on X57. We had to sacrifice a group of civilians, one of which was the reason we survived the mission at all, to kill a terrorist who would've gone and done it again. This time, if anything comes between the target and rescuing the civilians, we split up. Any questions?"

"What's the layout like?" asked Kasumi, her regular chipper attotude replaced by calm determination. Perhaps seeing what happened to Garrus and Shepard was enough to make anyone want revenge.

"Plenty of places to hide," answered Shepard. "Factories like that don't normally have good lighting and are abundant with catwalks, rafters, and other structural appendages that someone like you could take full advantage of."

"And enemies?" asked Tali. "What are we fighting down there?"

"The Blue Suns are known for their heavy usage of combat mechs. They pack a punch, but if you keep to what I taught you, they can be easy as hell to hack."

"I don't give a damn about the men," stated Zaeed. "Vido is the reason I'm here."

"Well, if you find him first, just save some for me. I'd like to see just how effective this new arm is." Zaeed smiled grimly; he and Shepard were going to be fast, fast friends.

* * *

The mission had gone well. In a rage, Zaeed nearly incinerated every worker in the place, but Kasumi and Tali managed to save them while the men chased down Vido.

Now, the man himself was limping for his life, but he couldn't escape. The two bloodthirsty soldiers had him cornered on a landing pad with a fuel container on one side and a hundred meter drop on the other.

"Hey there, Vido," greeted Shepard. "I have a question to ask you. Answer correctly, and I'll make it quick."

"F-Fuck you," spat the injured mercenary. Shepard just smiled and wiped the bloody spit from his face. Without a word, he brought his robotic arm up and slammed it down on Vido's knee, shattering the bone and earning a scream of pain.

"There's more where that came from, you bastard," growled Zaeed, who was obviously enjoying this.

"Fine," shouted Vido, clutching his broken leg. "Whatever you want."

"The name Archangel ring a bell?" demanded the commander, gripping the intact knee, letting the injured soldier know what he would do if he avoided the question.

"Yeah," answered Vido. "The fucker was killing off a lot of my mercs. I teamed up eoth the Eclipse and Blood Pack to take him down. I hear he's dead; good riddance, I say." Shepard just glares at him, before standing up and walking away.

"Zaeed?" asked the commander.

"Yeah?"

"Make this bastard suffer." The last thing Shepard saw before leaving was Zaeed pulling out an incendiary grenade.


End file.
